


A Rescue's Rescue

by AlexHunt



Series: The Orphanage (Blades of Light and Shadow) [4]
Category: Blades of Light and Shadow (Visual Novel)
Genre: Adoption, Dog - Freeform, F/M, Lost dog, Orphanage, Rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:33:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26665996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexHunt/pseuds/AlexHunt
Summary: Background Information: Lydo is the second child Mal and Daenarya rescued and brought to their orphanage. His brother, Rayden was the first. It was Rayden who helped them realize Lydo had been taken by the Thieves Guild.Notes: Rayden has Beary, Fienna has her mermaid doll, I thought it was about time that Lydo got his own treasured possession.For the prompts: treasured possessions; “I just… don’t know. Honestly.”; and “Oh? Just Once?”T/W: mentions of child abandonment, mentions of animal abandonment/neglect (not abuse)
Relationships: Mal Volari/Daenarya, Mal Volari/Main Character (Blades of Light and Shadow), Mal Volari/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Orphanage (Blades of Light and Shadow) [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1774255
Kudos: 1





	A Rescue's Rescue

The rock skipped down the road, clicking across the broken cobblestone path. Lydo kicked the small, jagged stone again as he reached the spot where it had landed. “Mr. Mal?”

“Yes?” 

“Never mind.” The young boy shook his head, his gaze returning to the ground in front of them as they walked down a nearly abandoned street in White Tower.

“What’s on your mind, kid?” 

“It’s just,” Lydo hesitated for a moment before continuing on. He found the rock again, kicking it once more. “Those other kids… will they be okay?”

“I —” Mal’s face fell. Not a day went by that he hadn’t thought about them—how they left dozens of children unprotected in the hands of the Thieves Guild in order to guarantee the safe rescue of Lydo.  **“I just… don’t know. Honestly.”**

Lydo nodded, his head hanging a little lower. It wasn’t the answer either of them wanted to hear.

“We don’t have the resources right now… even if we could rescue them all, we couldn’t feed, clothe, or house them,” Mal attempted to offer him some comfort. “At least there, they have all of those things. It’s not a great life, but for some, it’s their best option.”

“It’s not fair.” Lydo furiously kicking the rock. This time it ricocheted far out of his reach.

“I know.” Mal’s fists clenched at his side, his own time in the Guild flashing back. “We’ll figure something out. I promise. Maybe you can help?”

“How? I’m not a hero like you? I’m not strong or smart or anything,” the boy’s words trailed away. His feet searched for another stone to kick, needing an escape for the pain he still felt.

“Kid.” Mal moved in front of him, forcing him to stop. “Don’t sell yourself short! You’re so much more than you could even imagine.”

“I don’t know.”

“I do. I believe in you. So does Daenarya. And Rayden.” A brief smile tugged on his lip at the mention of his younger brother. Mal continued, “You’re his entire world. You’re the most important person to him. You already are  _ his _ hero!”

“Maybe.”

“How about we try to make a plan together?” Mal offered Lydo his hand. “I can’t do it by myself. What do you say?”

“Okay.” His voice broke in response. He wasn’t used to being considered anything at all, and now this hero of the realm wanted his help. His little hand slipped into the Rogue’s rough grasp as they shook on it. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

“No trouble at all, kid.”

The two continued in silence, the clamor of the few people in the alley scurrying away at the sight of them, untrusting of anyone. 

“You okay?” Mal questioned at the sound of a soft whimper.

“It wasn’t me.” Lydo looked around curiously in search of the noise. “It came from over here.” He ran toward the abandoned tenement building and began pushing away pieces of broken crates blocking a hole in the wall. 

The quiet cry grew louder the more debris they moved out of the way.

“I’ve almost got it!” Lydo fell to his hands and knees. “I think I can fit now.”

“Hey, kid. When I said you could be a hero, I didn’t mean by crawling into some dark hole. Daenarya will kill me if I let anything happen to you.”

Lydo continued unphased by the warning, crawling into the tiny space. “Hi… It’s okay… You’re safe now.”

The Rogue waited with bated breath, uncertain of what the boy had found or the potential dangers lurking inside.

“This way… Just like this.” He inched back out of the hole and into the warm sunlight. “You can do it. Just follow me.” 

As Lydo exited the opening, Mal was there, his hands checking over the child ensuring he had no injuries. He wasn’t kidding when he said Daenarya would kill him if anything happened to him. “What was in there?”

Before Lydo could answer, a scrappy looking, medium-sized, black and white dog crawled out, whimpering sharply as it attempted to stand to its full height.

“Is it okay?”

Mal knelt beside the animal, offering the back of his hand to sniff before attempting to touch the scruffy pup. “It’s alright. No one will hurt you.” He examined it as closely as he dared. “Looks like it has a broken leg.”

“Can you fix it?” 

“Not here.”

“Can we take him home?”

“I don’t—” Mal caught the way the rays of light glistened in the boy’s eyes as he watched the dog anxiously. It was clear from its almost emaciated state that the dog had been abandoned. The way Lydo looked at the it warmed his heart; his rescue had found a rescue of his own. “How can I say no?”

Lydo stroked the dog’s fur as Mal lifted it into his arms, knowing it was too weak and frail to walk. “It’s okay, boy. Is it a boy?”

He shifted the dog slightly in his arm. “Yup. He’s a boy.”

“Good boy,” Lydo scratched behind his ear. The dog quivered in Mal’s arms. “It’s okay. You’re safe now, just like me. You don’t have to be scared anymore.”

***

“Just this once,” Mal offered, gesturing to the dog laying at Lydo’s feet as they discussed his fate.

**_“Oh? Just once?”_ ** Daenarya considered their request with a raise of her brow. They already had Threep and who knows what kind of trouble he’d get into with a dog.

Mal’s arms snaked around her waist pulling her close. The hot breath of his low voice seeped across her lips. “It wouldn’t be the first handsome stray you let into your life and gave a home to. I can think of a particular one you saved.”

She rested her forehead on his chin. He had saved her too. They were both strays in need of rescuing. Her focus turned back to the scrappy dog, whose fate had never once been in any actual danger. “Okay, just this once.” 

Lydo knelt beside the dog, petting it happily. “I’ll take good care of you boy. I promise.”

“Does he have a name?” Daenarya questioned.

Lydo considered for a moment. “How about Scraps. He’s kind of scrappy looking?”

“Welcome home, Scaps.”


End file.
